Apparatus to facilitate the removal of starting-sheet deposits from their receiving blanks



, F. Ji SIBOL APPARATUS TO FACILITA'IE THE REMOVAL OF STARTING SHEET DEPOSITS FROM THEIR RECEIVING BLANKS "Filed April 1, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J2 CARRIAGE l I h 4 UPRIGHT anon Wot, F /WK u. 5/504 F. J. SIBOL APPARATUS TO 'FACILITATE THE REMOVAL OF STARTING SHEET DEPOSITS FROM THEIR RECEIVING BLANKS Filed April 1, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 14 THAC/TS PLH TFOHM J5 F A/v/r u. S/BOL,

Dec. 9, 1924- 1,518,609

F. J. S APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE REMOVAL OF STARTING SHEET DEPOSITS FROM THEIR RECEIVING BLANKS Filed April 1, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec; 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK J. SIBOL, OF PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'IO RAB-ITAN COPPER WORKS, A CORPORATION OE NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE REIVIOVAL OF STARTING-SHEET DEEOSITS FROM THEIR RECEIVING BLANKS.

Application filed April 1, 1922.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK J. SInoL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Perth Amboy, county of Middlesex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus to Facilitate the Removal of Starting-Sheet Deposits from Their Receiving Blanks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling and manipulating the blanks which have received deposits of metal, said deposits to be used to form the starting plates or cathodes for electrolytic refining apparatus. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus to. facilitate and make easy the removal of the thin deposits of metal formed on a forming or stripping blank to serve as a starting sheet or base of the cathode for electrolytic refining.

The cathode base or starting sheet or plate for electrolytic refining is formed by the electrolytic deposition on a cathode. plate made of lead or copper and commonly known as a stripping blank. At intervals the stripping blanks are removed from the electroplating bath and the thin deposit of copper is stripped off to form the starting plate or cathode base for electrolytic refining. In forming copper cathode bases it is necessary to apply oil'or other like parting material to the stripping base before forming the electrolytic deposits so that the deposits may be readily separated and removed from the base. The parting material is applied to the plate while hot and the electro-deposition takes place in a hot bath so that an even and firm deposit may be formed. After the deposit is stripped from the stripping base, it is provided with loops or other supporting means for suspension in a refining tank.

The stripping blanks are quite heavy and also being hot and covered with acid, are

veniently'liandled for stripping the deposit very difiicult to handle, and in handling, are frequently injured. Even when cranes are employed in lifting the plates, the work is slow, laborious and expensive. These difiicu'ltiesare largely avoided by the present invention,*one object of which is to provide an apparatus which will permit a number of blanks to be removed from a bath andconof copper.

Serial No. 548,668.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in which a number of stripping plates may be received and each plate may be independently brought to a position of free and ready access for stripping its deposit of copper.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the apparatus illustrated in the drawings and described in the following specification and claims.

The various features of the invention are' illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for receiving and handling blanks embodying a preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, and

Figv 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus illustrated in Fi s. 1 and 2, the position of a blank ready for stripping being shown in dotted lines' In the present invention the stripping blanks removed from the electroplating bath for stripping are received and suspended on narrow, upright carriages mounted on parallel, spaced tracks. Vhen these carriages are positioned at one end of the tracks a number of blanks may be carried fromthe bath by a crane and deposited in a group on the carriages. Each carriage with its blank may then be moved independently forward on its track to clear it from the others so that both sides are exposed for stripping, a platform being arranged at each side of the tracks to permit the blanks to be conveniently reached. I The carriages are preferably formed of a frame having a front and a rear upright, on the upper ends of which, notches are provided in which the ends of a supporting rod of the blank may be supported so that the blank may hang downwardly between the uprights. Suitable wheels or rollers are provided at the bottom of the frame to run on their respective tracks. A number of guides are also positioned above, and parallelwith the tracks to hold the carriages and blanks in their proper position on th tracks. v

Referring more particularly to the ac companying drawings, stripping blanks 10 carried from the'plating tanks by an electric crane'or other means are received on carriages 12 arranged in a parallel relation on tracks 14. The carriages are so arranged that a number of blanks may be placed on carriages at one time or blanks. may be de' posited on the carriages and left there until a-tim convenient for the stripping opera-- tion. When the copper deposit is to be stripped from a blank the carriage. holding. the blank is moved forwardly on the track. between guide rails 16, until it has moved clear of the other plates. In this forward position both sides of the blank are exposed and the deposit may be removed by workmen on platforms 18 and 20 or on the rails 10 in case one of the central carriages is being used. When the deposits have been removed from the blank, the carriage is re turned to its original position and another blank and carriage is advanced for the re moval f its deposit.

The carriages 12 are formed of a forward upright. 22 and *a rear upright 2A joined at their lower part by horizontal bars or beams 6 and 28 and cross beams 30 and 32 to m a rigid frame. The carriage is supported by wheels 34 and 36 on which the lower beam 26 rests and which are-adapted to roll on the track 14. At the upper ends of the uprights, brackets 38 and l0 are mounted, the upper edges of which are notched to receive the ends of a supporting cross bar 42 for the blank 10 and by which the blank is suspended. Notches ll are, also provided in the upper edges of the blanks through which hooks 46 of a crane or other conveying device may be inserted when the blank is being placed on the carriage or removed therefrom.

The uprights 22 and 24 may be formed in any suitable way, the union of two angle irons l8 and 50 illustrated in the drawings forming a very desirable construction because of its strength and lightness. The cross beams 30, 32, 26 and 28 may also be formed of angle iron and joined to the uprights by gusset plates 52, inserted between the angle irons 4:8 and 50.

Through the above described invention the stripping blanks may be easily and quickly handled without the necessity of the workman lifting or otherwise moving the blanks from the carriages on which they are deposited from the plating baths. Having thus described my invention,

' what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

. 1. An apparatus of the kind described which comprises a track, closely spaced guides lengthwise of said track, a carriage mounted on said track and adapted to move between said guides, said carriage having front and rear uprights and means on said uprights adapted to receive and support the cross bar of a stripping blank.

. 2. An apparatus of the kind described which comprises a track, closely spaced gu1des lengthwise of sald track, a carriage mounted on said track and adapted to move between said guides, said caruiage) having front and rear uprights, means on said uprights adapted to "receive and sup port the cross bar of a stripping blank and a platform adjacent said guides.

3. Apparatus of the kind described which comprises a series of parallel tracks, a series of closely spaced guides positioned lengthwise of said tracks, a series of carriages mounted on said tracks and guided in spaced relation to each other lengthwise of said tracks and means on each of said carriages adapted to independently support a stripping blank.

4. Apparatus of the kind described which comprises a series of paralleltracks, a series of closely spacedguides positioned lengthwise of said tracks, a series of carriages mounted on said tracks andguided in spaced relation to each other lengthwise of said track,-means on each of said carriages adapted to independentlysupport a stripping blank and a platform adjacent said tracks and guides.

5. Apparatus of the kind described which comprises a series of closely spaced tracks, narrow upright carriages mounted on said tracks for independent movement, said carriages having forward and rear uprights and means on said uprights for mounting a stripping blank, said carriages being adapted to be positioned to receive a number of spaced blanks and to be singly advanced to bring each blank into a separate position from the others.

6. Apparatus of the which comprises a series of closely spaced tracks, narrow carriages mounted on said tracks, said carriages comprising a front and a rear upright, a connecting structure at the lower ends of said uprights androller wheels supporting said carriages, andmeans on the upper ends of said uprights for supporting a stripping blank between the upper part of said front and rear uprights.

7-. Apparatus of the kind described which comprises means for supporting stripping blanks in substantially parallel, spaced relation and means for permitting said supporting means and blanks to be individually moved laterally in the plane of the moved blank out ofpositionbetw-een kind described stripping blank edgewise, and means for enabling a supported blank tobe moved permitting said supporting means and laterally in the plane of said blank.

blank to be moved laterally in the plane of In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set 10 the blank. my hand at Perth Amboy, county of Mid- 10. Apparatus of the kind described dlesex State of New Jersey, this 28th day which comprises means for supporting a f Mil-r011, 1922- stripping blank edgewise, and means for FRANK J. SIBOL. 

